clean gear ??

[jeg532]

I was just curious as to how everyone washes their turnout gear. If your departments have set SOP`s or if you just take it upon yourself to clean it any way you want, and what you use????

[cmack]

I scrub the shell on the ramp with mild soap and water and take the liner to a laundry mat.

[Guest]

We just moved into a new main station. In it we have a new industrial size gear washing machine. Prior to this we usually washed our gear (by hand) after dirty fires. Now we wash it more often. Even though it looks fairly clean, you would not believe the amount of black waste water expelled from the washer. Something to keep in mind when ordering new gear is to get gear that has removable liners, so that contaminants from the outer shell are not transferred to the inner liner.

[Fire Eater 07]

Suppose to wash after every working fire, but sometimes it doesnt get done....but I usually do mine after a fire or a entrapment or anything that i have to get sweaty doing...which seems like everything in todays heat!!!
stay safe

[trumpeter75]

Our department has a contract with a local dry-cleaners. We just take our gear to them and they bill the city, and are usually pretty good about prompt turn-around. Of course, getting our guys to remember to take their gear up to the cleaners is another story. . .

[cfr3504]

We don't have a set in stone policy, but I wash mine as needed. We're not a busy station for actual fires, so it dosen't get washed a lot, but when it's diry I clean it!

[distchief60b]

Hold the phone here folks!!!

NFPA 1851 is in place. Anyone familiar with it? No one should be washing gear in a commercial laundry mat or dry cleaners and the use of agitators shouls be discontinued. These things are destroying the structural integrity of your gear!

The commercial places and even some of you using turnout gear cleaner should read the label. First thing you will notice is that is says CORROSIVE! HINT HINT.... The lable in your gear says do not clean with bleach. The next thing you will notice on the cleaner is that it contains sodium hydroxides or sodium hypochlorites.... In some cases the labes will say..."do not use on leather or similar products" Do your pants have leather knees and are there leather pads on the elbows? How about gloves?????

The new standard says nothing over a PH of 10.5.

The standard is explicit about cleaning and repair. Cleaning establishments have to be CERTIFIED to clean and repair. Gear is not to be washed in machines used for normal clothes... (Commercial laundry mats and dry cleaners) A large department near me was using a commercial facilty. The facility was destroying gear at the rate of 1 or two sets/month.

If you do not have an extractor get a good cleaner and use a soak tank system..then rinse and air dry...DO NOT DRY IN DRYER! Do not wash liners and shells together...DO NOT WRING THEM OUT...GLOVES either.

The person from Andrews should contact Dean Cox of Fairfax County Fire and REscue...They have an outstanding system.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE STANDARD go to www.turnoutgearcleaner.com This company manufactures and sells (through distributors) a product that has been widely used by certified protective clothing companies (Maryland Fie Equipment and Southern Labs) for some time now. It has a PH of 8.5 and when washing the hyrdrcarbons attach to the fluid and are rinsed out and not back into your gear. It is environmentally safe.Cirtosqueeze

The site has information on the standard as well as the product and MSDS sheets. Contact them for more information on training to the standard and the product. Contact [email protected] He will be more than happy to address these issues with you and for you!

[TXFIRE6]

Our "oncoming shift" washes the gear fer the shift they relieved. For example if "A" shift worked a fire, then "B" shift would clean,dry, and put back together "A" shift's turnouts. The system works well because you never have to have gear out of service while on duty. A mild liquid detegent is used to wash the gear. Outer shells, and liners done separate, and then its hung up to dry.